Homophobia in Sports

The Ottawa Wolves RFC has always denounced discrimination and homophobia in all sports. Unfortunately, in a recent match, an incident occurred involving our team being the subject of homophobic comments. This incident is in direct contravention of Rugby Ontario and Rugby Canada’s rules governing conduct of play and we, as a club, are taking the appropriate steps to address the matter with our governing bodies.

This is a reminder that discrimination in sports, in all forms, still exists. ‘Out In The Field’, the first international study on homophobia in sports, commissioned by the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 committee reported that 80% of respondents have witnessed or experienced homophobia while playing or watching sports. This is a startling statistic that demonstrates that much work still needs to be done. Our club applauds the work of organizations such as You Can Play, who work to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports – including LGBT athletes, coaches and fans.

In sharing our first-hand experience, we, the Ottawa Wolves RFC hope to promote awareness of the impact of homophobia in sports and will continue to fight to eliminate it and other forms of discrimination for all athletes.